Treasury Sec., filmmaker to speak to grads

NBX News' Andrea Mitchell will speak at the College graduation. University officials announced a star-studded cast of national figures to top this year's list of speakers for the individual school graduation ceremonies next month. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, journalist Andrea Mitchell, prize-winning moviemaker Michael Moore and former National Football League star Lynn Swann will be among the speakers coming to each of Penn's 12 schools. "One of the features of having a major graduation ceremony and individual school ceremonies is that each school can attract a speaker that will resonate with graduates, their families and friends," University spokesman Ken Wildes said. "They can all bring background, expertise and a message that are pertinent to a particular school." In stark contrast to the celebrities and political figures on hand for the school ceremonies, the University's 244th Commencement will feature an academic. Seamus Heaney, the 1995 Nobel Laureate in Literature, will address all of Penn's graduates at the Franklin Field ceremony. Heamey's speech is scheduled for Monday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. Meanwhile, a range of academic, political and entertainment figures will make appearances at the individual school graduations. Mitchell, NBC's chief foreign affairs correspondent and a University Trustee, will speak to the College of Arts and Sciences graduates at a ceremony to take place on Saturday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at Franklin Field. "[Mitchell] is a wonderful speaker and a prominent person who has also been very loyal to the University of Pennsylvania," School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said. A 1967 College alumna, Mitchell has made repeated visits to speak at her alma mater. She gave the Baccalaureate address in 1998 when her husband, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, was awarded an honorary degree from Penn and spoke to College undergraduates earlier this year as part of the Robert A. Fox Leadership Lecture series. Summers -- whose predecessor, Robert Rubin, was the Commencement speaker last year -- is the son of Penn professors emeriti Robert and Anita Summers. He will address members of this year's Wharton MBA graduating class. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 21 at 1 p.m on Franklin Field. Moore, who is best known for the highly acclaimed documentary Roger and Me, will be the graduation speaker at the Annenberg School for Communication's ceremony. That event will be held in the Annenberg School's lobby on Monday, May 22 at 2:30 p.m. And Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and current Big Brother and Big Sisters of America national spokesman, will address the School of Social Work graduates in the University Museum's Harrison Auditorium on Monday, May 22 at 2 p.m. University officials also released the names of speakers for the University's three other undergraduate schools. The Wharton undergraduate division's ceremony selects two student speakers instead of a prominent figure. It was not known last night whether those students had been selected. The Wharton ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 21 at 9 a.m. on Franklin Field. The School of Nursing's ceremony will take place on Monday, May 22 at 7 p.m.in the First District Plaza at 38th and Market streets. Pew Charitable Trust President and CEO Rebecca Rimel will give the keynote address. The Engineering School, which has yet to schedule a speaker, will hold its ceremony in the Palestra on Monday, May 22 at 1 p.m. Other speakers taking part in individual school closing exercises include Penn Center for Bioethics Director Arthur Caplan, who will address the School of Veterinary Medicine. American Association of Medical Colleges President Jordan Cohen, will speak to Medical School graduates, and the Law School's ceremony will have two featured guests. U.S. Solicitor General Seth Waxman and Education Law Center member Janet Stotland will each deliver a speech at the Law School's ceremony.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.